West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has been awarded the first Bangla Academy award for her ‘relentless literary pursuit’. The award was introduced this year and CM Mamata has been given the first award for her book ‘Kabita Bitan’.
The award to Mamata Banerjee was presented at the ‘Kavi Pranam’ event organised by the West Bengal government’s Information and Culture Department on the occasion of the birth anniversary of legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore.
However, as per reports, though Mamata Banerjee was present at the event and was sitting on the stage when the award was presented, she did not receive the award herself. The award was received by state education minister Bratya Basu on the CM’s behalf.
The minister stated that Mamata’s name was chosen for the award by a panel of some of the best writers of the state.
Mamata Banerjee got the award for her 2020 book ‘Kabita Bitan’ which was launched at the Kolkata Book Fair that year. The book contains 946 poems written by the chief minister herself.
The award for the ‘relentless literary pursuit’ will be given to persons who write literature while working in other fields. Some BJP leaders have also mocked CM Banerjee for giving herself awards. It is notable here that state education minister Bratya Basu himself is the chairperson of the Bangla Academy.
